SolidWorks Contest Aimed at Products for Disabled Workers

By DE Editors

High school students competing to design products that will help people with disabilities enter or advance in the workplace will be able to use free licenses of SolidWorks (Concord, MA) 3D CAD software this year. SolidWorks’ sponsorship allows contestants in the National Engineering Design Challenge (NEDC) to have access to software that lets them design everything from mechanical filing systems to lifts that load employees from wheelchairs onto lawn mowers.

Coordinated by the Junior Engineering Technical Society (JETS) and the Javits-Wagner-O’Day (JWOD) program, NEDC fuels student enthusiasm in engineering by immersing them in real-world challenges that people with disabilities face daily. Beginning in September, students form teams and either choose the problem they want to address or tackle one suggested by competition staff. Students must then interview people with disabilities to learn exactly what their challenges are, and what suggestions for solutions they might have. Students then design and build a working prototype, which is reviewed by panel of judges for possible invitation to a final round in February during National Engineering Week in Washington, DC.

More than 1,000 students in nearly 50 schools competed last year, and those numbers are expected to increase this year. Last year’s first place entry was an ergonomic, electronic box opener that reduced pressure and increased safety for users. Other projects included an all-purpose photoelectric counter used in manufacturing facilities and a gripping device that lets users pick up items from the floor/ground or on shelves without suffering from repetitive stress injuries.

“Real-world experience is a powerful means of attracting students to productive engineering careers,” said Marie Planchard, SolidWorks director of education. “The JWOD/JETS NEDC competition is a terrific opportunity for students to design products that could really make a difference.”

For more information, visit jets.org or listen to a podcast about it by clicking here.

Sources: Press materials received from the company and additional information gleaned from the company’s website.